not your gold-digging boy toy
by uptightcrankyshadownet
Summary: Based on E04S04 "You could be my gold-digging boy toy or something." For Sassassin.


"You could be my gold-digging boy toy," Alex smirks and flips her hair just the slightest as she turns to walk into the bank, relishing Owen's- Sam's?- confounded expression at her statement before he follows her. Of course she'd have let him follow her. Whatever Sam thinks, he's still a little bit of Owen, deep down. And she might not trust Sam- but she trusts Owen.

Alex negotiates for twelve million while Sam stands by, watching, ready to move if anything goes wrong. The negotiator isn't above bribery, and Alex uses that to her advantage. They end up stuck in a hotel suite, waiting it out, and Alex doesn't stop grumbling about it for any period of time.

When she starts talking about her regret, when she starts talking about Sean, Sam feels himself freeze.

Oh, he tries to convince himself it's because of Emily- and don't get him wrong, it _is _partly about Emily because who could forget how they saw their beacon of hope, their symbol of normality, someone they _loved _die in front of their eyes? But it's mostly about the girl standing in front of him, right here. Sam _knows _without a doubt that Alex is a badass- and if you crossed her you'd end up six feet under; he's seen her in action. But talking about Sean her eyes suddenly become just a little brighter, and her voice seems more raw, more vulnerable. Maybe a little desperate. And Sam can't stop himself from bringing Emily up, too.

She is too close for comfort on the sofa and her baby blue eyes look past Sam and see Owen instead.

"The last thing she said was my name," He finds himself saying. "Owen. Even that was a lie."

Alex's frown deepens. "That wasn't a lie." Her hand finds its way to his wrist, and her next words are deliberate. "You were Owen. I think a part of you still is."

Sam looks down at her palm against his hand, gentle but firm, and he can't believes she means what she's saying but she _does. _Suddenly he rethinks everything- taking the diamonds, running away, and never crossing paths with any of the team ever again, because he knows if he does, every night he closes his eyes to go to sleep he'll see her face on the back of his eyelids in the swirling void of never-ending pitch-blackness, pale, desolation written on every inch of her face. He will hear her voice in the emptiness called silence. And one day, he knows, he will come running home.

She seems to snap out of it. "I'm sorry, I should-"

"Alex." Sam instinctively grabs her hand, and she stops short, snapping her gaze to him, questioning, almost fearful. "What?"

"I don't want to be your gold-digging boy toy," And it comes out softer, more tender than he thought it would be.

Her eyes flash with understanding, then cloud over with pain and regret- too much regret for someone with so much life in her. "You're not Sean."

He nods, standing up to face her and cup her cheek in his hand. "No," It comes so easily to him, because he knows this is who he is and everyone falls into place. "I'm Owen."

When he kisses her he feels her stiffen for the briefest moment and he can almost taste the bitterness of fear and loss and despair on her tongue- and then she grips his shoulders and kisses him back like there's no tomorrow, her nails sinking into his skin through his shirt. He hears her sob, a hiccup that says _finally _and _oh god _and _please _and _help _and a million other things Owen can't hold on to. His fingers tangle unconsciously in her hair and his free hand slips against her hip and pulls her closer. The bitterness fades and it's replaced by something Owen wants forever- redemption and hope and something that edges close to what you could describe as love.

She is beautiful.

"Owen," Alex gasps, and for the first time in a long time he doesn't feel like the name has hit a nerve.

"Alex," He whispers back and realizes how much he needs her. "My love," Owen adds on because it feels so right to say it- the word doesn't grate over his skin like it has for so long, too long.

She doesn't say anything in response but she doesn't need to. And when that asshole from the Shop comes with his gun and an objective, they're there to face him- together.


End file.
